Civil Law and Common Law: systemic differences or cultural contrast? Evaluating inconsistencies between the Italian, English and Welsh, Federal criminal procedures through the extensive media coverage of the Knox trial

The dissertation, which is entirely drafted in English, hinges on a comparative study of both the Italian and British legal system - including some reference to the American jurisdiction - from the point of view of the criminal procedure rules. Through the analysis of a specific case study, namely the trial for the murder of Meredith Kercher, the paper aims to highlight what the substantial differences between civil law and common law are and the extent to which these divergencies can impact criminal proceedings. Therefore, particular attention is placed on the media coverage that the case has had, both in Italy and in United Kingdom and the United States, and on how this has - perhaps only apparently - influenced the trial and public opinion.